"You still have an army?" Baron Balian didn't expect that this so-called patrol officer actually had patrol soldiers.

"Yes, sir, I have a patrol team. But the number is not large."

"Are there ten people?"

"With the two of them, I have sixteen soldiers and twelve new recruits undergoing training."

Hope flashed in Baron Balian's eyes: "Art, are you and your patrol soldiers willing to accept my employment to transport food to near Aosta in Provence? I am willing to pay you full salary."

"Sir, I can help you escort the food, but my patrol team just participated in the bandit suppression in Andermatt Fort a month ago and suffered serious losses. It is now being repaired at the station. If you want to hire me to help you escort the food, you can

There may have to be enough conditions for me to be tempted. You have to know that not only do you have to face fierce and cunning bandits along the way, but the central area of ​​Provence is still a war zone, and it is not easy to deliver food safely. "

Baron Balian was already very worried, and he still cared about Art's conditions: "Tell me, what kind of conditions do you want."

Art lowered his head and thought for a while, then replied: "Lord Baron, you saved my life today, and I will not use greed to repay your kindness and bravery. I promise to bring all the soldiers in my patrol team to help you transport food."

To Aosta, but you have to pay me a salary of one hundred and fifty pfennigs per day. If I need to participate in the battle, I will pay at least three hundred pfennigs per day during the battle. Of course, I believe that no ordinary bandit would dare to rob one.

A food transport team guarded by dozens of people, and your heraldic flag is more effective than ten soldiers."

"Your conditions are not too much. I agreed. After you recruit your soldiers, I will pay you a week's commission first. After a week, I will pay you on a daily basis. In addition, I will be responsible for the rations of your soldiers. How about it?"

"make a deal!"

Art and Baron Balian agreed to bring all the patrol soldiers and five four-wheeled carriages to meet the baron in Thorne Village three days later.

............

Returning to the wooden castle in the valley, Art convened several military and civilian managers in the wooden house for an urgent meeting.

"Cooper, the patrol is about to leave the wooden castle and go to the middle of Provence to escort the military rations for a nobleman. You guys will discuss and do the things that were previously arranged. In addition, let Lawrence select a few more young and strong fortresses to join the defense of the fort.

The fort defense team will send people to guard the prisoners of war who are building the road, and Scott will be in charge of everything in the valley for the time being."

"Simon, how are you preparing to build the checkpoint?"

"Sir, we are almost ready to build the checkpoint. I have discussed it with the old housekeeper and Lord Odo in the past few days. We will select seven honest soldiers from the prisoners of war in Alsburg, the wounded soldier with the injured eye.

I was also transferred to prepare for the construction of checkpoints, and three more people were transferred from the fort protection team. In addition, the old housekeeper temporarily transferred the carpenter Bud to me, a total of thirteen people. There are not many tools, but I have the guidance of the old carpenter Bud.

It should be enough.”

"Simon, take the food and supplies and set off to the border as soon as possible to start building checkpoints. Otto, allocate some simple weapons to Simon. The border is not peaceful, so you must have weapons for self-defense."

"Yes, sir."

"Odo, we will stop training at noon today, repair in the afternoon, and follow me south to escort the rations tomorrow. Has the training of the new recruits been completed?"

"Sir, the basic training of new recruits has been completed. Since yesterday, they have been temporarily organized into three teams. Under the leadership of veterans, battle formation training has begun. Weapons and shields are also basically equipped."

"Okay, then let's discuss the expansion of the patrol team."

When it comes to major military expansion matters, several people take it very seriously.

"This time I plan to expand the patrol team to four squads. Each of the first, second and third squads will select a veteran to join the fourth squad, and the missing soldiers in each squad will be filled from the recruits."

"The newly formed fourth team will be led by Tuba, the former leader of the second combat team of the first team. The missing team leaders of each team will be nominated by the team leaders and I will appoint them."

"Bas's first team, Kazak's second team, Odo's third team, and Tuba's fourth team, each team has six people, a total of twenty-four people. So this time, in addition to adding one more team,

I also plan to add another person to Ron’s Sentry Team.”

"Ron, I give you permission to select a recruit among the recruits who is suitable for cavalry training before they choose to enrich your sentry team. Adding you and Jason, your sentry team will have three people. The sentinel team will be directly

It is under my command and also serves as my bodyguard."

"Odo, I remember there was a guy in the third team who was reluctant to train for combat, right?"

Odo was a little ashamed. There was a soldier in his third team who was worse than Jason, who was known as the "Fool Soldier". He was originally an apprentice of a grocer in the south of Provence, and was selected by Art when he was recruiting soldiers on the border trade route. This guy

In the usual training, he likes to sneak around and is often punished. Otto originally wanted to expel this guy from the patrol team, but in the last battle in Alsburg, this guy showed some bravery and actually killed someone at the critical moment.

A small bandit leader was killed and the lives of several soldiers were saved. In addition, the patrol suffered heavy losses in the battle, so Odo had no choice but to keep this man in the patrol.

"Sir, although this soldier cheats and cheats during training, he also achieved military exploits in Alsburg last time, so I have never expelled him from the patrol team."

"Well, since he doesn't want to train or fight, let him be responsible for cooking and feeding the animals for the patrol team. You are the deputy of the patrol team, and you are also responsible for the management of food, materials and weapons for the entire team, so this soldier will go directly to the patrol team.

You command."

"Okay, let's go back and get ready. We'll start reorganizing after dinner."

…………

Beside the stream outside the wooden fort, several recruits were washing their bodies in the stream. It was not because they liked to be clean, but because Art strictly ordered the soldiers to wash themselves at least once a week, and the heavy training also made them covered in sticky stench.

sweat.

A lean and muscular recruit poured water on his body and said to the strong man next to him who was rubbing the sweat on his back: "Obot, Mr. Odo just said that we will be organized in the afternoon.

If you join the first team and are about to go out, are you going to suppress bandits? I don't seem to be ready yet."

The big man stood up, picked up a rag on the shore and wiped the water drops on his body, and replied: "What are you afraid of? The patrolman said that as long as we kill three enemies in total in the battle, we can restore our strength.

Free citizen status. Death is nothing, you can regain the freedom of your soul after death. It is said that the team we are going to is the most powerful team before. The leader of the combat team named Colin has chopped off the heads of several enemies.

, very brave. If we follow him, we may be able to regain our freedom in less than a year."

…………

In the big house of the wooden castle, Colin, who was packing his luggage to sharpen the notch dagger, looked up at Tuba, who had replaced the dagger at his waist with a broad sword: "Tuba, you are gone, and I am the only one left in the second combat group.

Already."

Tuba tightened the belt around his waist, walked to Colin, patted his shoulder, and said: "Colin, you will be the leader of the second combat group from now on. The two new soldiers will come in the afternoon.

You, you must train them strictly in the future. Only if you train them well in peacetime, will it be easier to survive on the battlefield."

"Sir Odo ordered me to go to Master Art immediately. When the new recruits arrive, you can take them to Chief Bass to get their weapons and equipment."

Before reaching the door of the big house, Tuba turned around and said to the brother who accompanied him day and night: "Colin, this time the order was issued very urgently. I guess the danger is not small. If I die, please burn my body."

If there is an opportunity in the future to bring you back to a small town called Carpaccia in the south of Provence, all the money I have will become your commission for this move."

"Tuba, what's wrong with you today? This doesn't look like you!" Colin felt that Tuba should be happy when he was promoted to squad leader.

"Colin, I'm not afraid of death. I just think of the brothers who were recruited from Kitzby and died in the battle. Do you remember what the short man said the night before he died in the battle?"

Colin recalled it for a long time and replied: "He said that his hometown was occupied by the Lombards, and he wanted to go back in the future~"

"Yes, I just listened casually and didn't ask in detail where his hometown was. When Lord Odo asked me where he came from, I didn't know, so his soul can never return to his hometown. I

I also want to go home, even if it’s just my soul.”

Colin has never thought of going home. He has no family for a long time: "Tuba, if I die, I will be buried here, so you can't even try to cheat me out of a single coin~ Haha."

…………

In the sturdy warehouse in the independent courtyard of the wooden castle, this is one of the most important warehouses in the entire wooden castle. All important materials of the patrol are stored, including all weapons, armor and shields, spices, salt, cloth, valuable goods, and part of the military pay.

Otto was bringing a young man with blond hair and sunken eyes into the warehouse: "Spencer, this time you got your wish, don't you want to train for combat? From now on, you will be responsible for everyone's food and drink, and distribute the soldiers' weapons and equipment.

As well as the chores I assigned you. I heard that you have been a grocer's apprentice. Does this bother you? But you have to remember that all supplies sent out from here must have orders from Lord Art or me. If you

If you dare to mess around, I'll take your head."

The blond guy thought he would be expelled from the patrol team, and when he was worried about how to solve his future livelihood, Odo told him that he would leave the combat team to find a "good job" that paid well and did not have to face harsh training all the time. Although it was a job

It was a chore job, but the blond guy was very happy with it.

Odo took him into the warehouse, where there were more than a dozen neatly arranged sets of weapons - short spears, short swords, wooden shields, black robes and cloaks, various knives, battle axes, water bladders, leather boots, belts and other odds and ends.

of military resources.

"I will send someone to help you distribute weapons and military supplies to the new recruits in a while. You can pick out the full set of military equipment for the patrol soldiers from the warehouse. You are a veteran, so you don't need me to tell you about the weapons and equipment of each soldier, right?"

The blond guy carefully and quickly counted the inventory of weapons and equipment just like he did under the grocer before, then turned around and asked: "Sir Otto, we need at least twelve sets of short spears, short swords and wooden shields, even if we use miscellaneous knives,

If the battle ax replaces the dagger, it is only enough for eight sets? And the other various weapons cannot make up four sets?"

Odo smiled and said: "It seems that you have chosen the right person to do these chores. You only need to distribute them according to the requirements of the officers who come to collect the weapons and equipment. In addition, your full set of weapons must be returned to the warehouse, and you generally don't need them anyway.

To participate in training and fighting, all you need is a black burqa and a short sword."

"Yes, Sir Otto. I'll be ready right away."

…………

In the kitchen of the wooden castle, Emma is baking rye bread with the help of several peasant women. Five or six loaves are baking in the simple oven of the kitchen. Each loaf weighs three and a half pounds, and one has coarse salt and chopped vegetables.

Ye's bread is a standard staple food for a soldier for three days. More than twenty such large breads have been baked in the rattan basket in the kitchen. These breads are easy to carry and have a large portion, and due to the addition of a small amount of salt powder,

The taste is also delicious. If it is paired with a little bacon, it can better replenish the physical fitness of the soldiers and greatly stimulate the soldiers' combat effectiveness.

…………

In the valley, on the newly reclaimed land, Ron, who was running on horseback, was conveying Art's orders to Lawrence and Scott, the steward of the valley and the captain and deputy captain of the fort protection team.

"Uncle Lawrence, I have ordered you to select five young men from among the fort residents to join the fort defense team, and then select three brave men from the fort protection team to follow Simon to build checkpoints in the border area. In addition, you must be responsible for guarding

That group of prisoners of war helped the old housekeeper lead them to build the carriage road. This side of the valley is temporarily under the management of my father."

Lawrence put down the hoe in his hand and replied: "Yes, I will immediately summon the peasants and soldiers of the fort defense team to return to the wooden castle."
Chapter completed!